TOKYO KNIT participates in “Collaboration Project with artists with disabilities”, to create the one and only art & product by combining Japanese traditional craftsmanship with the talent of artists with disabilities.

There are some among people with disabilities who excel in artistic activities such as drawing and practice-figurative art. Artworks created by them are gradually becoming accepted as artistic genre, “L’art brut” which means “raw art”, “artworks by self-taught individuals who are untrained and untutored in the traditional arts”, and “expression uninfluenced by traditional tide of art”.

As collection of modern and contemporary art, a permanent collection exhibition of “L’art brut” was opened at the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou (well known as the Pompidou Center in Paris), Europe’s largest modern art museum. Approximate 1,000 artworks by 242 artists including Japanese were donated to the Pompidou Center by Bruno Decharme, globally famous collector of “L’art brut”.

…… You will be touched by meeting their fertile and pure talents and want to more about artists. And you will come to know disability and their personalities and finally become fan of them. We want to aim to realize an inclusive society: disability which is not special but an individuality can be accepted and respected and everyone can live their own life. World-renowned Japanese craftsmanship reproduces artworks by artists with disabilities as the one and only product and both craftsmanship and artwork can be vibrant. ……

With such thoughts, “Collaboration Project with artists with disabilities” has started.  

As the first trial of the project, clothes created by 6 TOKYO KNIT certificated companies based on the existing artworks were unveiled at TOKYO LOVE KNIT held on February 16, 2024. Influencers of Generation Z wearing them walked on runway. The unique clothes by collaboration project that have different attractiveness to original artworks were standing out.

■Experimental attempt of TKF ×”Collaboration Project with artists with disabilities”

●TOKYO KNIT certificate company: Zoom Co.,Ltd.
Product: Dolman sleeve T-shirt

Comment by Moto Kagamura from Zoom Co.,Ltd.
Collaboration of this time contribute not only to bringing additional value to our works from the point of view of social contribution but also to improving our techniques. I am very proud to have been able to participate in such a meaningful project.

●TOKYO KNIT certificated company: KAWASHIMA KNITTING Co.,Ltd.
Product: Jacquard pullover and pants

Comment by Kazuyoshi Kawashima from KAWASHIMA KNITTING Co.,Ltd.
When I saw artworks by artists with disabilities, that of Mika Kamijo made me inspired because I thought that her works could suit 12colors-gom-jacquard machine of our company. We immediately tried to knit fabric by programming the image of her works and knitting fabric was made as expected. I would like to continue participating in this project.

●TOKYO KNIT certificated company: Office Hodota Co.,Ltd.
Product: Patchwork T-shirt (Left), T-shirt (Right)

Comment by Yuhei Hodota from Office Hodota Co.,Ltd.
It is a real pleasure to be able to manufacture clothes by utilizing such a great artwork by artist with disabilities. At the beginning, my motivation for this project was supporting people with disabilities. However, as the project proceeds, I came to want to make something great by collaborating with artist.

●TOKYO KNIT certificated company: Ito Medias Corporation
Product: Jacquard hoodie jacket

Comment by Toshiaki Ito from Ito Medias Corporation
I was wondering what kind of detailed works make it possible to reproduce artwork by Eiichi Shibata because composition of his artwork is subtle yet bold. As a result, we simply created big-sized hoodie jacket to express the power of his artwork without using technique such as pockets and darts.

●TOKYO KNIT certificated company: Maruwa Textile Industry Co.,Ltd.
Product: Jersey Y-shirt

Comment by Nobutaka Fukasawa from Maruwa Textile Industry Co.,Ltd.
Thinking the respect to artwork is the most important, we were able to create clothes which make people smile after repeating trial and error. It was valuable opportunity to lead to progress of our company. I am very grateful for such a great opportunity.

●TOKYO KNIT certificated company: Momose Textile Co.,Ltd.
Product: No-collar jacket and pants

Comment by Yuichi Momose from Momose Textile Co.,Ltd.
There was great environment for this project where we could freely choose fabric and artwork. In addition, artwork by Eiichi Shibata which is subtle, sharp, and cool fits “no-collar jacket and pants” in which our company is specialized. So, we were able to create satisfactory product. I don’t know how it would be evaluated at fashion show, but I really would like to say “thank you” because we could try such a rewarding work as manufacturer.

FUKUFUKU Plus having great track record in the area of artworks by disabilities such as “Shibuya Font”, was in charge of management of artists. Original artworks utilized for collaboration were exhibited at the venue and Mika Kamijo and Eiichi Shibata participated in talk show on the day.

At TOKYO LOVE KNIT, as an experimental attempt, existing artworks were reproduced as the clothes.  At the next stage, new brand will be launched to sell the package of the artwork newly drawn and the clothe as one-of-a kind item to provide new value of artworks by artists with disabilities that has never been.

【Comments by artist and staff of welfare facility】
・Comment by Mika Kamijo
When I was 19, I started drawing self-taught by deforming the face of medical staff working for the hospital where I was hospitalized due to autosomal recessive hereditary disease. Since then, I have been spending most of time for creative work for 28 years. As I draw dream I had when I’m sleeping, I would like to continue having a lot of dreams.

・Comment by staff of “Kobo Shu” , the welfare facility to which Eiichi Shibata belongs
Drawing itself is already what makes him feel good and stabilizes himself when he is anxious. He is not interested in what his works are sold or exhibited at all. However, I am very happy to have such an opportunity thanks to Eiichi.

◆Mika Kamijo
At the age of 19, she started drawing self-taught by deforming the face of medical staff working for the hospital where she was hospitalized due to autosomal recessive hereditary disease. Her drawing themes are “colorful imaginary world” and “dream world”.

●Solo exhibition
Her first solo exhibition, “imagination” was held in Karuizawa of Nagano prefecture in 2004. Since then, many solo exhibitions have been held inside and outside of Nagano prefecture.

●Award
In 1998, she won “street corner award” of public enter exhibition of Nagano Olympic Art Paralympics. Since then, she has received many awards such as Grand-Prix, Excellence Award, Special Award, honorable mention award, etc.

●Group exhibition
She firstly participated in “the 9^th Design Award of Art Village” in Tokyo in 2003. Since then, she has participated in many group exhibitions in Japan, South-Korea, and in NY.

●Creative activities
2014 The illustration work for the title of tv program “Portal ANN News and Sports” by TV Asahi
2018 Mural painting for food court, FOOD＆TIME ISETAN YOKOHAMA, at the west entrance of Yokohama Station
2020 Artwork chosen as main visual for “Encouragement for tomorrow campaign” by Unilever Japan
2023 Artwork for “Art of Future Town” by Daiwa House Group

◆Eiichi Shibata
Born in 1970. Drawing itself is already what makes him feel good and stabilizes himself when he is anxious. He has been drawing under the theme of “Sekken no Se, S of soap”, which is an eternal mystery, for more than 25 years. This veteran attracts the attention at the overseas art fairs and artworks were sold out at his first solo-exhibition in NY. But he is totally indifferent to those great achievements and lives at his own pace. Enjoying wordplay, he is beloved by everybody of welfare facility.

●Collection
Collected at the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou (the Pompidou Center in Paris, France)

●Main exhibitions
2012  Eiichi Shibata “Sekken (Soap)” at the office of Yukiko Koide in Tokyo
2013  OUTSIDER ART FAIR 2013 Center 548（NY, USA）
2014  “Exhibition of award-winners for Pocorart” at Arts Chiyoda 3331 in Tokyo
2014  “SOAP” Eiichi Shibata solo exhibition at Yoshii Gallery in New York
2014  “Outsider Art Fair” at Paris Hotel le A in Paris, France
2014  “art brut: collection abcd/ Bruno Decharme” at Maison Rouge in Paris, France
2014  “Getting Together, exhibition of Kobo-Shu” at Another Museum in Tochigi, Japan
2015  “Outsider Art Fair” at New York Center 548 in New York
2015  “Le Salon du Dessin Contemporain” at Le Salon du Dessin Contemporain in Paris, France
2015  “Art Brut Live – abcd collection” at Bruno Ducharme Center for Contemporary Art in Prague, Czech Republic
2015  “dRaw” at INTUIT in Chicago, USA
2016  “out sider art fair2016” at Metropolitan Pavilion in New York, USA
2018  “Art Brut from Japan, Another Look” at Art Brut Collection in Swiss
2018  “Innermost secret of repetition” at Another Museum in Tochigi, Japan
2019  “Art Brut from Japan, Another Look” at Art Brut Collection in Lausanne, Swiss

■Event Information of Fashion Show “TOKYO LOVE KNIT”
Date：Friday 16 February 2024 17:00-19:00
Place: TRUNK HOTEL MORI (5-31-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku Tokyo).
Performers: Yuka Uchiyama, Sota Uemura, Kyomi Sawada, Ayaka Honmo, Ruru Mikuma, and Ryuto

Detailed information about TOKYO KNIT activities will be updated on this site and official social media. Please check it out.

Please see the detailed information about activities of TOKYO KNIT for FY2023 in the press release (PDF：1.9M).